1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup device that can be appropriately used to perform an operation so as to select a single object from among a plurality of objects detected from moving image data, a method of controlling the image pickup device, and a program.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, image pickup apparatuses configured to identify an object having a predetermined characteristic and perform predetermined processing related to image capturing operations for the object have been renowned.
Further, image pickup apparatuses configured to identify a plurality of objects so that a user can select one of the objects have been renowned. For example, some image pickup devices have been achieved to identify the face of a subject, temporarily enter mode specifically provided to change a face image determined to be an object by a user at the image capturing time, and select the object (the face image of the subject) in the above-described mode by using a general-purpose directional operation component. Further, an image pickup device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-28959 turns ON/OFF the face identification control for the face image of an identified subject through a specifically designed operation component at the image capturing time. Further, when data of a still image is reproduced, the above-described image pickup device changes the face image of the object through a specifically designed component so as to magnify the image of adjacent areas of the face image identified on the still image.
However, in the above-described known examples, a directional operation component assigned to a different function at the regular image capturing time has been used to select the object, so that the function of the directional operation component is changed to select the object. Therefore, mode specifically designed to select the object should be prepared, which increases the number of operations.
Further, if the component specifically designed to select the object is prepared as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-28959, the main body of the device is increased in size.
On the other hand, it has been possible to change an object for selection to another object in sequence by using a single operation component alone at the still image reproducing time. However, it has been difficult to change the object at the image capturing time and/or the moving image reproducing time when objects are always moving and changing places so that the number of the objects is always changed. Particularly, an algorithm provided to change an object to another object, the algorithm being provided for a still image, is ineffective to perform change control, in addition to the above-described changes, so as to determine whether or not a single object should be selected.